This afternoon, while passing the new fisherman sculpture erected on the canal towpath beside Walsall Wood bridge I noted that it had already been vandalised. The fish that so vulnerably dangled from the end of the silhouette’s rod had been stolen. My views on vandalism in these parts are well known, and I shan’t reiterate them here, but I would just like to point out that whilst the artist, Luke Perry, may be a charismatic and talented craftsman, he clearly understands little of human nature. To hang a trophy like that fish, at a reachable and tantalising distance from a bridge parapet as it was, is just an invitation to take it. Indeed, I’d call the positioning naive. We used to televise challenges like that and call them ‘The Krypton Factor’.
Needless to say, if you know of some scallywag that’s suddenly become the proud owner of a large, metallic fish without very good reason, it may be a good idea to call the local police.
Let’s hope there’s a bit of a rethink before they splash out on a replacement piscine pendant….
The one that got away... barely 4 days after unveiling, the catch of the day was snatched away. 4:54pm, Tuesday 9th February 2010
Hanging folorn, the perils of using low guage fishing twine are evident.
Facade66's photo of how the artwork looked when unveiled. Note the copper coloured fish hanging from the line.
Thanks to Facade66 for the use of his photo, you’re a gent, and a scholar. Check out his Panoramio gallery, it’s fantastic…